Wish You Were Hear: Cheap Time in Oakland, 2/3/14

Cheap Time, 3 Feb 2014 | Eli’s, Oakland, CA

Nashville’s Cheap Time are currently on tour, promoting their newest album Exit Smiles on In the Red Records. I caught them at Eli’s when they hit the Bay Area last week, at what was apparently their first show in Oakland in five years. If I recall correctly, 2009 was the year they were scheduled to play live on my radio show but had to cancel when their stuff was stolen the night before outside a pizza joint in Sacramento. Luckily, they’ve encountered no such mishaps on their tour thus far and I was finally able to check out their new bass player Jessica. I’ve seen at least three different bassists pass through the band and, I have to say, this is their best line-up yet. Jeffrey (guitar, vocals) and Ryan (drums) cranked out song after song like well-oiled machines, seamlessly segueing from one to the next, and Jessica kept up without a hitch. She was a pro at trading snarls with Jeffrey, too—awesome! Here are some shots from the show.

FYI, they’re on tour through February.

2/11/2014 Fargo, ND Aquarium
2/12/2014 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
2/13/2014 Madison, WI Frequency
2/14/2014 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle
2/15/2014 Detroit, MI Lager House
2/16/2014 Cleveland, OH Happy Dogs
2/17/2014 Cincinnati, OH MOTR Pub
2/18/2014 Buffalo, NY Waiting Room
2/19/2014 New Haven, CT BAR
2/20/2014 Boston, MA Church of Boston
2/21/2014 Long Branch, NJ Brighton Bar
2/22/2014 Brooklyn, NY Union Pool
2/23/2014 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
2/24/2014. Philadelphia, PA. Nachohouse
2/25/2014 Baltimore, MD Metro Gallery
2/26/2014 Washington, DC DC 9
2/27/2014 Durham, NC The Pinhook
2/28/2014 Charlotte, NC Snug Harbor
3/1/2014 Asheville, NC The Moth Light

Guerrillas in the Street

Wrong Words "Wrong Again" video shoot | Olympus PEN E-P2, 9mm, 1/80 f4, ISO 800

C and I recently wrapped up video production for Cheap Time and the Wrong Words. As with photography, I have no formal videography training, but the digital age just makes it so easy to experiment. Together we’ve made a total of five videos so far (including these last two), and each one has been a valuable learning experience. The most important lesson: working as a team is easier than working solo. Oh, and always get more than one take. To be honest, I have yet to physically manipulate our raw video footage, but having two people fussing with the file is probably not a good idea anyway, especially when C does such a wonderful job (and has a computer that can handle the workload, unlike mine).

Perhaps because I’m used to the spontaneity and unpredictability of photographing live music, I’m (we’re?) more comfortable with guerrilla-style shoots than staged settings. Drop me off somewhere and I’ll figure out what to do. It’s not even necessarily about the lack of a budget and high-end gear—having to set up lights and crafting a shot can add another dimension of stress. Of course, if we or the bands could hire professionals to do that stuff, it’d be a different story altogether….

We met up with Cheap Time for the few hours they were in San Francisco on tour. After a quick brainstorming session, we filmed around the Hemlock Tavern as well as inside. Thankfully, Jeffrey had strong arms—the monopod was not light! I worried a bit about the random people on the street being in the video, but the wide aperture we used rendered them virtually anonymous. Equipment used: Canon 60D, Olympus PEN EP-2, monopod, tripod. Obstacles encountered: aggressive panhandlers; needles, fresh excrement (human?), broken glass, and cartons of abandoned Chinese food in the alley; dim stage lights.

The Wrong Words video was the most complex project we’ve undertaken so far, involving four locations (practice pad, Mosswood Park x2, Down at Lulu’s), three separate days of shooting, and a storyline that we made up as we went along. Since there was a storyline, we had to keep track of people’s clothing and Layla’s hair, the shots we needed, and outdoor lighting conditions—somewhat challenging when full weeks passed between takes. Bassist Ajax made the Wrong Words sign and the secret admirer card—what a craftsman! Spencer (the secret admirer) was a total pro and provided his own slow-motion effects. C did an excellent job editing down the multiple hours of footage. I can only imagine how difficult a feature film must be! Equipment used: Canon 60D, Olympus PEN EP-2, monopod, tripods, 42″ reflector, revolving disco light. Obstacles encountered: busy schedules, mercurial weather, malfunctioning wardrobe, inoperative motorbike.

Next solo video project (assuming my computer can handle the editing process): The Inhuman Eating Machine‘s big salad session.